ACTFL Fall OPI Assessment Workshop at Orlando Now Open

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Lori Haims(914) 963-8830 ext. 225

Alexandria, VA (August 14, 2013) — The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages is pleased to announce the Fall OPI assessment workshop that will be held just prior to the 2013 ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo at the Rosen Centre Hotel, Orlando, FL, from November 18-21, 2013 for the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, and Spanish.

The ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Assessment Workshop is a four-day professional development course to introduce language educators to the Oral Proficiency Interview, ACTFL rating scale and techniques for conducting and evaluating oral proficiency interviews.

The workshop consists of daily plenary presentations which are then reinforced by practical, language-specific, break-out sessions. These sessions utilize model interviews, hands-on rating activities and live practice in conducting and rating mock interviews. The practice interviews and their respective ratings are then critiqued and discussed within language-specific groups. Upon completion of the workshop program, eligible participants may pursue OPI Tester Certification.

Participation in the workshop helps teachers and professors understand the essential elements of teaching and testing for proficiency. In learning the assessment method most widely used today in the U.S., language educators are better prepared to evaluate a student’s speaking ability and determine if learners have achieved a specific benchmark level in accordance with individual districts, universities, or states.

ABOUT ACTFL

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) is the national association for language education professionals from all levels of instruction and representing all languages. With more than 12,300 active members, ACTFL provides innovative professional development opportunities, acclaimed training and certification programs, and widely cited books, publications, scholarly journals, research studies and language education resources, including Foreign Language Annals and The Language Educator magazine. As part of its mission and vision, the organization provides guidance to the profession and to the general public regarding issues, policies, and best practices related to the teaching and learning of languages and cultures. ACTFL is a leading national voice among language educators and administrators and is guided by a responsibility to set standards and expectations that will result in high quality language programs. For more information, visit the website at www.actfl.org.